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<title>The Outlines of Our Hands by Bazylia_de_Grean</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22649299">The Outlines of Our Hands</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bazylia_de_Grean/pseuds/Bazylia_de_Grean'>Bazylia_de_Grean</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jewel in the Iron Crown [29]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pillars of Eternity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:40:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>552</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22649299</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bazylia_de_Grean/pseuds/Bazylia_de_Grean</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Even if he didn’t know, he could read everything she doesn’t say in her gaze. But his cipher skills let him see more.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Thaos ix Arkannon/Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jewel in the Iron Crown [29]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1566019</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>TTRPG Godsquad</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Outlines of Our Hands</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/aban_ataashi/gifts">aban_ataashi</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22320103">In Terms Of Flowers</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/aban_ataashi/pseuds/aban_ataashi">aban_ataashi</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>[<i>Inspired by chapter 6 </i><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22320103/chapters/54053209">Verbena</a><i> of Taashi's fic </i>In Terms of Flowers.]</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Nona finds him in his – their – chambers when he returns, at first she just freezes, motionless, not knowing what to do. She wants to run to him and feel his arms around her, to make sure he is really here and not a dream, but at the same time she is afraid that she won’t be able to control her emotions if she does.</p>
<p>So Thaos smiles at her gently and walks over, and only then Nona reaches out for him, touches his cheek with slightly trembling fingers, brushes his damp hair out of his face.</p>
<p>“You’re safe,” she whispers, only that, more a sigh than actual words.</p>
<p>There is a lot she wants to say, Thaos can see that clearly in her thoughts, can feel the emotions coiling in her soul. She wants to cry, with relief and all the quiet fear that has been gnawing at her for the past few weeks. She tries to remain calm and composed as ever, but a part of her wants to scream at him for risking so much. She wants to tell him how worried she has been, but knows that he is well aware of it. She wants to ask him to stay, just once, but she never will, because they both have their duties to Woedica and they must do whatever their vocation demands.</p>
<p>So Nona is quiet. She only looks at him, with eyes that aren’t wet, not quite, but gleam in the candlelight all the same, and even if he didn’t know, he could read everything she doesn’t say in her gaze. But his cipher skills let him see more. Her fingers, tracing the imprint of his body on the sheets when she woke up alone; her thoughts, tracing the empty space beside her every day and night after he left.</p>
<p>Thaos takes her hand in both of his, lifts it to his mouth and lightly kisses her fingertips. Nona blinks, confused at first, and then gasps quietly as it dawns on her, and has to blink again to fight back tears.</p>
<p>She moves, wrapping her arms around him tightly as she hides her face against his chest, holding him as if she never wanted to let go. They both know she will, and that is why Thaos lets her.</p>
<p>He kisses her forehead, then embraces her, stroking her hair. “Just a while longer, jewel,” he murmurs soothingly. “And then Woedica will judge all again and we will be safe.”</p>
<p>Once, Thaos wanted to find peace in offering his soul to Woedica after her return. He still does. But he is also aware that will not be the end of their work; merely the beginning of another chapter in the book of their service, and there will be new duties waiting for him. And – as he did in the beginning, as he has always done – he accepts.</p>
<p>Besides, he owes Nona something for her unwavering loyalty and devotion. So he will stay with her, in this life and the next, until the end of hers. He cannot give her what she truly wants – what she perhaps deserves – but he <em>does</em> care about her. And enough understanding and attention to detail can be easily mistaken for love. So he will stay with Nona and keep giving her pleasant dreams.</p>
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